NRA Educational Foundation Elects New Trustees
National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation elects three new officers to Board of Trustees.
-- Chain Leader, 9/18/2009 8:15:00 AM
PRESS RELEASE: Chicago, IL - The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) named three new officers to the NRAEF's Board of Trustees for the September 2009-December 2010 term. At the NRAEF Board of Trustees meeting held on September 14th in Washington, DC, Bill Hyde, principal of Abacus/Jasper's Restaurant Group, became the Board's new chair; Carlton Curtis, vice president of industry affairs for the Foodservice and Hospitality Division of Coca-Cola North America, assumed the post of vice chair; and Xavier Teixido, owner of Harry's Savoy Grill, began his term as treasurer.
"We are extraordinarily pleased to welcome Bill, Carlton and Xavier as the NRAEF Board of Trustees new officers, and look forward to collaborating with them as we work to lead America's restaurant industry into a new era of prosperity, prominence and participation," said Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association and NRAEF. "The NRAEF is critical to the mission of the National Restaurant Association, and the industry will benefit greatly from their leadership as we continue to support the workforce of today and tomorrow and inspire a lifelong passion in the restaurant and foodservice industry."
"As outgoing Chair, I am very proud of the accomplishments of the NRAEF this past year and am pleased to announce the new officers of the NRAEF Board of Trustees that will continue to grow and build the NRAEF moving forward" said Linda Bacin, immediate past chair of the NRAEF. "Under their experienced leadership the NRAEF will continue to enhance the prominence of the restaurant industry through public service, education and community engagement."
William L. Hyde, Jr. was elected to serve as chair of the NRAEF Board of Trustees. Hyde has managed privately and publicly held restaurant companies since 1982 and is a distinguished 30-year veteran of the national restaurant scene. He was a partner of Ruth Fertel and CEO of Ruth's Chris Steak House, Inc. until his retirement in 2003. Hyde formed Briarwood West Investments, LLC in 2005 with a focus on restaurant investments as a means to enhance the consumers' dining experience. The company's first investment was in ZEA Restaurants, a casual dining concept featuring an eclectic menu with rotisserie meats and a wood-burning grill for steaks and seafood. In 2006, he acquired Abacus/Jasper's Restaurant Group, along with celebrity chef, Kent Rathbun. Abacus is a five-star fine dining restaurant in Dallas, Texas, and Jasper's is a high-end casual restaurant featuring gourmet backyard cuisine. He has served on various industry and charitable boards, including the National Restaurant Association, Goodwill Industries, American Institute of Wine and Food, American Beverage Institute and Distinguished Restaurants of North America.
Carlton Curtis was elected to serve as vice chair of the NRAEF Board of Trustees. Curtis is the vice president of industry affairs for the Foodservice and Hospitality Division of Coca-Cola North America. He joined The Coca-Cola Company in 1972 in public relations, where he served in a variety of positions including vice president of corporate communications and corporate public relations. He was appointed vice president and director of Worldwide Educational Marketing in 1994. In 1997, he was appointed vice president and executive assistant to the president of Coca-Cola USA, and in 2000, he was elected vice president and executive assistant to the president of The Coca-Cola Company. He was appointed to his current position in September 2003. Curtis is an emeritus trustee of the University of Georgia Foundation and is the past president of the University of Georgia's Alumni Association. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National 4-H Council and the Board of Directors of the Elliott Leadership Institute.
Xavier Teixido was elected to serve as treasurer of the NRAEF Board of Trustees. He began his restaurant career as a cook with the Harry M. Stevens C. at the Brandywine Racetrack in Wilmington, Del. From there, he served as chef and general manager at the Frog and Commissary restaurants in Philadelphia and managing director in Commander's Palace in New Orleans. In 1984, he co-founded the 1492 Hospitality Group, which included Harry's Savoy Grill. He later bought the restaurant outright and expanded the company to include Harry's Savoy Ballroom and Harry's Seafood Grill. Teixido was chairman of the National Restaurant Association in 2002-2003 and is former president of the Delaware Restaurant Association.
The chair, vice chair and treasurer are volunteer positions held by members of the NRAEF's Board of Trustees who are exceptional leaders in the restaurant industry. When electing officers, trustees consider the individual's level of participation in Board activities, his or her leadership skills, stature and involvement in industry activities.
About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) enhances the restaurant industry's service to the public through education, community engagement, and promotion of career opportunities. The restaurant and foodservice industry is comprised of 945,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of 13 million employees, making it one of the nation's largest employers. The NRAEF is focused on working with the Association to lead America's restaurant industry into a new era of prosperity, prominence and participation by providing the valuable tools and resources needed to educate our current and incoming employees. For more information on the NRAEF, visit www.nraef.org.
